Sunday, 6 March 2011

Stupidity at the heart of Suffolk Council

I've no idea why Sally Marlow should have been appointed Head of HR at Suffolk County Council, but clearly an intelligent appreciation of HR doesn't seem to be amongst the most cogent reasons; on excusing the expenditure on some fancy new-age crystal-healing aromatherapy type 'executive coaching' for her Chief Executive, Marlow said;

"In exactly the same way as all members of staff at this, and any other, organisation do, the chief executive receives personal development to support her in her role"

Never mind the illiteracy - after all, English may not be Ms Marlow's first language - it's the stupidity inherent in 'receives personal development' that gets me. Here speaks the sing-song voice of the public sector parrot, not entirely sure what 'personal development' is but willing to regard it as a sort of in-service enema for the benefit of the recipient. She could have parroted

"In exactly the same way as all members of staff at this, and any other, organisation do, the chief executive receives colonic irrigation to support her in her role"

With just as much confidence that what she was saying made sense. Perhaps like the head nurse at Shrublands Health Clinic Ms Marlow has a little clipboard and stalks the corridors of the Council demanding "Has the Director of Finance had his personal development this week yet?"

For Ms Marlow's benefit, and any others misguided enough to believe that HR is an actual profession, allow me to point out that personal development is endogenous; change that happens from within, unlike an enema, which is change that can be applied from without. One simply cannot 'receive' personal development. And with this sort of stupidity at the heart of Suffolk Council, I really wonder where my County is going.

The white gold earrings are an occasion pair of earrings. But if you are prepared for all of this, then trading gold online can surely be one of the best things you can do today. Now jump forward 40 years. The risk with limit orders is that the order may never be executed. They think they will create wealth without having to work, invest or think, and it just doesn`t happen that way.